Did you know that your dog (or any animal) would actually RATHER work for food than just have it be put on the floor? I know it sounds illogical but it’s science folks, and think about it- foraging, hunting, and seeking are instinctive behaviors in our four legged friends and that is what they would be spending their time doing in the wild or even In your back yard or on a trail walk if you watch them! From an evolutionary standpoint, the need to forage and the instinct to find food cannot be under valued. Only dead dogs can’t find food.
Professor Robert Sapolsky explains that dopamine (basically a feel-good brain chemical) rises when an opportunity to gain food appears, not when they actually get the food. Which means we have can use these slow feeders and enrichment toys or activities to actually increase our dogs dopamine!
This is why I am SUCH a big proponent of feeder toys or puzzles such as the kong wobble, or a puzzle cube or a snuffle mat. Beyond this, it also just eliminates boredom, which for me, can never be a bad thing. A dog that isn’t bored isn’t going through the trash, isn’t digging, isn’t barking, isn’t biting, isn’t chewing, and isn’t doing anything that bothers you! We can’t just be dictators to our dogs and control everything they do and not let them have any fun in it. Remember to change up the toys, maybe rotate a few into a weekly cycle so it’s not always the same for your dog! I even use amazon boxes or put some food in towels and tie them up!
Here are some good options- this store has an adorable name (hint) and is done by a positive reinforcement based trainer!
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